When processing yarns during spooling, yarn ends often must be connected. Conventionally, the yarn ends are connected by splicing. In conventional splicing systems, the yarn ends are placed within a tubular chamber and exposed to a fluid stream or an air jet. The yarn end fibers are intimately connected forming a strong connection between the two yarns. An important aspect of the splicing operation is to provide a connection having a strength substantially equal to that of the yarn without fiber ends projecting beyond the connected parts and without the connection having a transverse cross section larger than that of the yarn being connected. A typical conventional apparatus for splicing yarns is disclosed in DE Offenlegungsschrift No. 30 49 426.
A primary requirement for obtaining a spliced joint between the yarn ends of a satisfactory quality suitable for practical operations involves reducing the cross-section of the yarn ends to be spliced. The reduction can be accomplished by brushing, untwisting or blowing the yarn ends. The cross-sectional reduction of the yarn ends facilitates the intimate intertwining of the fibers at the yarn ends. Additionally, the prepared yarn ends must not be too long. Long prepared yarn ends extend beyond the actual splicing region and wind about the yarn being connected.
The yarn ends are conventionally prepared outside of the splicing chamber, for example, in DE Offenlegungsschrift No. 29 45 504. However, preparation of the yarn ends at a location remote from the splicing operation does not permit keeping the yarn ends sufficiently short to provide a good splice joint. Although this disadvantage can be obviated by pulling the yarn ends back, the pulling operation requires a complicated yarn retracting device.